


You know it when you know it

by Leor_Ataraxia



Series: The inner call [2]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alpha Jason Grace, Alpha Piper Mclean, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awkward Crush, Idiots in Love, M/M, No Sexual Content, Omega Nico di Angelo, Past Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Rut, Scenting, ToA doesn't exist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:01:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27307408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leor_Ataraxia/pseuds/Leor_Ataraxia
Summary: Jason could be sometimes oblivious about feelings, including his own, but even he can understand what his alpha wants.
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Jason Grace
Series: The inner call [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1993696
Comments: 3
Kudos: 108





	You know it when you know it

**Author's Note:**

> English is my second language, sorry for any mistakes
> 
> Not sure how often this concept is used in other fics (I don't remember if this thing is originally mine, or I saw it somewhere) but basically around 11/12 Alphas and Omegas have fake ruts and fake heats respectively; is like their original counterparts but the effects are dulled and well, without all the sexual desires. Basically the body is still maturing and preparing for when its actually ready to mate, that is not until around 16/17 at the very minimum.
> 
> For example, in a fake heat the omega would feel feverish and sick, but instead of wanted to be breed, would prefer to be cuddle, if anything.

Jason hated his rut.

He thought it should be easier after having fake ruts for years, that was the whole point, right? Your body prepares itself for the changes that involve becoming an adult, so having the fake ruts would give you an idea of how to be ready for when it was time for the real one,

He somehow feels scammed.

His fake ones made him mildly irritable, but nothing that worrying; he may sass people more often (aka Percy style) yet he would still be able to get a grip and get the job done. He wonders if somehow, something in the legion made him be able to manage it that way, or perhaps his fake ruts just were mild.

The real ones were a totally different story.

He was not only irritable, but he was also on edge; it was mildly reminiscent of the times in the Argo II, where even when everything was calm you needed to be ready to defend yourself and your friends, except now they were at Camp Half-Blood, where they haven’t hear any serious incident since the times of the war. But somehow, his stupid alpha did not get that memo, insisting on protecting his pack no matter what.

Jason felt his cheeks getting hot, because that was also happening, and he hoped it was his inner alpha messing up and not something that translated to his actual mind.

Every time he thought of someone who he considered a member of his pack, he thought of them as _his_. His Leo, his Piper, his Nico.

It was stupid, possessive, and totally disrespectful towards his friends. They were their own people, he didn’t own them and claiming that much makes him feel dirty and shitty, but he didn’t know how to remedy that.

At least he hasn’t voiced it out loud, and he thanks the gods for it because the last thing he wanted, was for them to think he was some asshole who thought he could boss people around just for being an alpha. It was already bad enough that they needed to avoid sparring or anything dangerous because his alpha would get in the case, or the fact that they needed to be careful with Jason’s things.

Oh, that one was especially shameful; Jason wanted to hit himself just by remembering it. Nico got this habit of using Jason’s cup for his tea, and it was something that he agreed to. Nico always asked permission at the beginning, but after the son of Jupiter insisted that it was fine, he just started to take the cup as it was his.

And Jason was fine with it, or so he thought. In any other circumstances, he would be happy that Nico was so comfortable in his space that he would navigate in it with such ease. Since the son of Hades announced he would be staying at Camp, Jason took it as his mission to make sure he didn’t regret that, for him to know he had a home with him. If Nico finding solace in Cabin 1 between all his things helped to point that out, then so it be.

Except for that day, where somehow his inner alpha decided to be a little shit and act more possessive than usual, and somehow, decided that growling at Nico was actually a good idea.

If it wasn’t because Jason felt absolutely mortified for doing that to his friend, and he knew that they were on good terms, he may have been scared. Nico rarely ends in a fight, no matter the amount of bullshit people gave him he would not go to the level; yet it was also because nobody was that stupid. Nico was not only the son of the king of the gods, but an omega; and while omegas weren’t dangerous unless you messed with their pack or children, nobody wanted to prove their chances with him.

Nico once revealed he didn’t get the habit of growling because of his dynamic, or at least he doesn’t think it was for that since it happened before he presented. It all started when he lived in the streets for a while, before he found his way to the underworld and Hades let him stay; he wandered in the city for months and of course, more than once somebody tried to rob him or hurt him. He got lucky that his powers reacted with his emotions with ease, so even when he wasn’t physically strong at that point, whatever the mortals saw in the mist was enough to make them run away. Of course he couldn’t use his powers every time, still getting tired from the backlash; so he would growl, show teeth as a way to prove to people he wasn’t joking around.

It hurt Jason knowing his friend had such a tough life; he had been in the streets for quests, but nothing that wasn’t a few days, with other people, and at least some resources. Nico literally jumped in the demigod's life without help, and didn’t have any time to learn how to effectively fight monsters before he ran away.

It has been a while since Nico lived in the streets, but that time scarred him in such a way the habit hasn’t gone away.

And yet, Nico didn’t retaliate, he was just surprised that it happened; and the fact that Nico was comfortable enough with him to not react even when Jason made an indirect threat made him feel worse. Of course a second later after the fact, Jason apologized profusely; Nico insisted that it was fine, it just took him by surprise, but that didn’t make Jason feel better.

The fact that happened, and other instances (like somehow Jason thinking Leo of all people, could get hurt by a welder) should have made obvious he was having a rut, a real rut this time; yet after having such mild fake ruts the idea that this was how the real ones turned out well, took everyone by surprise.

His friends had helped him in the best of their capacity, stop sparring, spending time with him; and he appreciated them, but he also felt guilty. His stupid rut already made him fuck up with his friends by acting like a dumbass, and now they needed to change their routines just for him; he tried to make them change their minds, but neither of them would bulge.

“Is just for a few days dude, it would be fine!” Leo said that much.

He wishes being in a rut would make him stubborn enough to not give up, sadly his inner alpha preferred it that way, so part of him wasn’t in the discussion. He could almost hear that voice in his head, saying to find the rest of his pack, put them in Cabin 1, and made sure everybody was safe, happy, and rested; in his territory where nobody would bother them.

Of course that instinct wouldn’t be reasonable enough to understand that he cannot make his friends stop his lives for him; no matter how much he itched to get the rest of them at Camp Half-Blood, he would shut up and grits his teeth. It was bad enough Piper and Leo trying to bend their schedules backward for him despite their responsibilities; first he would eat his gladius than Iris Message his friends in Camp Jupiter and ask them to be there. 

Sadly, just because he was quiet didn’t mean there weren't other ways of showing his disapproval.

Thanks to his rut, his scent was stronger, some emotions would be able to decipher just by smell alone. The scowl almost permanent in his face (these days at least) would be one of worry, and he would fidget around, like ready to pounce on someone.

At least Nico's intervention helped, as surprising as it was.

Jason had never thought about it before; while it was common knowledge that betas scent was soothing, as a way to counteract situations that may cause a disturbance in the pack, he never thought the scent of any member of his pack would help.

At first, when suddenly a wrist appeared in his face, he was confused; he did not have a clue why it was there. Then he got caught on the scent; his smelling being more acute thanks to the effects of the rut, and he just couldn’t help himself, wanted more of it.

Nico’s scent was earthy, it reminded him of fresh soil when was ready for planting, the smell of the dirt after a rainstorm. He remembered time ago, when the son of Hades was still a stranger, and thinking it wasn’t exactly pleasant; now, on the other hand, he found himself being soothed by it. Because it was Nico’s; the scent now reminded him of their times together, from that first hug after Nico told him he was staying, from the times they sparred together, when he cuddled with Nico on his bed when the son of Hades had his fake heats and wanted to be around someone.

He felt not only calmer, but happier, not just thanks to the good memories, yet his inner alpha somehow relaxed, Jason couldn’t explain it, but it really made him feel better.

Nico appeared perplexed at first, just nodding as a response, and then a couple of minutes after the fact, with Jason visibly less tense, Nico smiled.

Despite his reticence to let his friends do more for him that they were doing, Jason felt happy about it; that Nico was worrying about him. There was a time he doubted Nico would even be able to tolerate him, so the fact that he stayed at his side even when he was being an asshole really warmed his heart.

The silence was comfortable now, or at least it was for him, Nico was starting to frown and since Jason was the one in a rut, he wondered what could be on his mind. Before he had the chance to ask, Nico looked around.

“People don’t normally get at this part of the camp, right?” It was a little ironic, technically Nico knew this camp longer than Jason, but the number of months accumulated made Jason the one who had spent more time here.

In any case, Jason shacked his head “No, is one of the reasons Piper suggested to reunite here, is pretty quiet and people are rarely in this part”

Nico bites his inferior lip, and then answers “Good”

That made the blonde confused “Why you w-”

“Just…want to try something, and I don’t want people getting the wrong idea” while saying this, Nico goes up and sits exactly beside him, close enough that their thighs are touching, and then proceeds to hug him.

That caught Grace by surprise. Nico wasn’t affectionate really, not unless was with Reyna or Hazel, who only got that privilege because they were his sisters; the only time he initiated contact was during his heat, when he was more in a cuddly mood because the situation more than anything.

“Since the other thing helped, I thought maybe hugging would do” Nico whispered, his head hiding below his chin “If you are uncomfortable-”

Jason didn’t answer, he just gave him a big bear hug back, mindful enough to not apply too much force like the first one they shared, but still be able to feel the other teen in his arms.

He wasn’t that much touchy either, while wasn’t as adverse as Nico once was about contact, Jason didn’t mind it but didn’t initiate a lot either. Depended on the circumstances mostly, and the other person of course.

This time felt different. Maybe it is his rut; but Jason wanted to envelop Nico entirely, feeling him strongly against his chest until he could feel their heartbeats combined. Jason let himself rest his chin against the mop for hair that Nico has, and inhaled his earthy aroma that he liked so much; by being this close, he could actually smell his combined scents; normally you don’t notice your own scent since is your own, yet the contrast with Nico’s scent somehow brought up his own.

Jason’s scent was something akin to ozone, like electrified air in a storm; and it made an amazing contrast with Nico’s, since being more akin to fresh soil made all the difference. He liked it though, even more than Nico’s scent alone; it somehow felt right, like it was meant to always be this way, so different but mixing so well.

Happiness invaded Jason, even if he wasn’t sure why, but he almost feels like he was soaring in the sky, with the mountains below and a beautiful sky above, though in his daydream Nico for sure would be beside him. That happiness was thanks to Di Angelo, that much he knew. Somehow being just like this, in each other’s arms and close as they could be, make him feel happy and in peace.

“ _My Nico_ ” a voice inside him mentioned, and this time Jason did not have the energy to be mad at himself. To be completely honest, he wanted to bask in that idea; not that he owned Nico like somehow it was still the old roman times, but that it was the only one of his kind, one that couldn’t be compared, one that meant so much to Jason that it would be his Nico, not comparable with others.

“ _My Omega_ ” that thought surprised him so much he gasped.

The other teen was so close that of course he heard that, so he separated enough to see Jason at his face “Is something wrong?”

“ _Yeah that last thought was definitely not normal_ ” it was what it came to mind, but he couldn’t say that without explaining what was going on inside his head, and that definitely couldn’t be said. He needed to improvise, and quick, before he made something stupid instead of just thinking it “I remember about the shrines”

“The shrines?”

“Yeah, since Annabeth is not here, Malcolm was giving me a hand to check the proportions and the math involved, with all this rut situation it almost slipped out of my mind”

Jason hated lying to Nico, but he was starting to panic a little and needed to set his head straight, and he couldn’t do that with Nico hugging him, not even beside him.

Nico nodded, luckily believing in him; the rut did make him change a lot of plans “Want me to come with you?”

The son of Jupiter knew he only said that much because his alpha wanted to keep tabs on everybody, yet something inside him warmed at the idea of being together as much as possible, _mates spent a lot of time together after all-_

 _“Stop,”_ he thought to himself, and trying to not growl out loud because being easily irritated was something that came with the ruts. 

He replies quickly “No, is alright, is going to be pretty boring for you to just sit around while we work on it. I will see you at dinner okay?”

Nico nods, and before something else comes up, Jason tries to walk as fast as possible without looking suspicious, with a million thoughts in his head that make him feel more worried by the second. 

* * *

“ _What was that?_ ” Jason thought, almost panicking, while pacing back and forth in the hidden attic of his cabin. Most people were unaware such a place existed, and he didn’t go there often, so it would be odd if somebody tried to look for him there.

Okay, Jason could be dense sometimes when it was about feelings, but he wasn’t that oblivious, not when his mind said that much at least.

 _My omega_ . That’s not something you normally think, not even archaic people who thought the ancestral pack rules still applied in the modern world would say something like that of any omega on their pack, leaders of a said pack or not. The only reason somebody would say something similar was if the omega in question was their mate. It would be the same if Jason was with a person of a different dynamic, _my alpha_ , _my beta_ ; the important part was the _my_ in it.

“ _You couldn’t have said something similar when we were with Piper?_ ” He thought, exasperated with his inner alpha that he decided to choose a partner that he wasn’t trying to court himself.

Piper and he were together some time ago, or tried at least.

Your inner dynamic was like dealing with something that was between animalistic and human, which could be unpredictable and difficult to understand, even if it is just a part of you. While in ancient times matrimonies out of convenience were popular, these days people tended to listen to what that instinctual voice tells you. While it is believed pheromones may have something to do with it, sometimes your inner dynamic would be seeing another person as a potential partner, or reject them if forced to be together.

Being with somebody of your same dynamic wasn’t impossible, no matter how many people thought two alphas together would end in bloodshed at some point. While the inner alpha may see another alpha as a rival, it has been seeing for centuries alphas who had fallen in love with one another, and see each other as mates and not enemies. It is believed that if you see the other person in a romantic light, those instincts will rewrite themselves.

That didn’t happen for Piper and Jason.

They were capable of growling at each other in the middle of their fake ruts, during the times of the war tensions were so high they showed teeth and snarled. Of course, they would say sorry and cuddle, and while he hated to admit it; even with his ruts as mild as they were, his skin prickled when they cuddled or kiss when he was like that, like something inside him screamed to stop.

There were a lot of excuses for this “We haven’t been together enough time, maybe at some point our alphas would understand that we see each other as potential mates” “We are in the middle of a war, it is normal to growl sometimes, we are all on edge”.

Once the war was over, they could spend time like normal couples without worrying about the fate of the world, and that’s when all those excuses crumble at their feet. They didn’t know each other like other couples would do, the fake memories being a big problem between them; and their inner alphas still disliked each other in the romantic setting. Jason realized that he loved Piper, but he loved her the same way he loved Reyna, or Leo. She was amazing, but it wasn’t meant to be.

Later they would laugh that their inner alphas saw this coming for months already and that should have been a signal, but it took some time to get there. Jason was very aware that Piper took it harder than him, since she believed in them a lot more than he ever did, but eventually things went back in place.

Jason didn’t have all his memories back, yet remembered enough that Reyna despite being his fellow praetor, a powerful fighter, beautiful inside and out, and an omega, his alpha was never interested in her in that way. As far as he knew, he didn’t try to court anybody else either, his first try at that was with Piper and failed spectacularly.

So Jason was indeed surprised that for once in his life, he felt that urge inside him, of somebody that felt right in a way nobody else should. Problem was that it was Nico, who had a complicated past and needed time to heal, and friends to support him, not a mate.

Is not that it was surprising this happened; despite how popular he was, he wasn’t the best at making friends, rarely interacting with new people for fear that they would just be interested in his position and not for himself, so he only made friends with people who had gained his trust somehow. The fact that his only friend at Camp Jupiter was Reyna and even she wasn’t a close one, proves that he needed to be in a situation of life and death to finally open up a little.

Nico…he could understand his perspective, in away. He knows what is having problems trusting people, on being unsure if they see you for who you are and not who they think you are, both accustomed to having too much on their shoulders and nobody who could relieve them. Nico made him feel seen, even if he hasn’t been able to show all of himself yet, doubts are damned, but being aware that when the moment comes, Nico would understand as he has done for him.

He gulps, noticing those feelings, and wondering…this was because his alpha was attracted to him, or it was because-

Jason groaned out loud.

_“I’m fucked”_

Inner dynamics could think of people as potential partners if feelings were there, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> This work has like, almost a month since I wrote it, but depression hit me and I didn't want to edit, then I had doubts if it was actually good, but two friends of mine like it, so I'm like "guess is good enough"  
> Not sure what else to day, happy halloween I guess?


End file.
